tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1794406356268252166.post6694455071395627667..comments2024-03-24T14:24:12.716-07:00Comments on De Colores: The Raza Experience in Books for Children: Another look at JULIAN IS A MERMAIDUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1794406356268252166.post-30504921957521397912019-02-01T09:20:22.522-08:002019-02-01T09:20:22.522-08:00Hello Beverly Slapin,
My colleague led me to your...Hello Beverly Slapin,<br /><br />My colleague led me to your post after Julián is a Mermaid won the Stonewall (January 2019). I love the book! I wanted to highlight some points about Julián is a Mermaid that seem to be missing from how some people critique the book.<br /> <br />* It is Black and Afro-Latinx affirming.<br />* Black and Afro-Latinx women and girls are central.<br />* It is Queer and Trans affirming, even though we do not know how Julián identifies.<br />* It has Black joy, Black beauty, and Black love at its core.<br />* It is body positive, age positive, and family-structure positive.<br />* Yes, it is not an #OwnVoice text.<br /><br />* But, Julián is a Mermaid can do at storytime and bedtime and circle time and in the therapist/counselor/social worker’s office what no other book can currently do right now.<br /><br />* I am a Black woman. I am cisgendered and heterosexual. I am a K-8 librarian, educator, artist, writer and mother.<br /><br />*What currently published, picture book do I read with my son or my students to talk about the love and joy and affirmation we have for Black and Afro-Latinx individuals who may be gender non-conforming or LGBTQIA?<br /><br />With peace,<br />Jamila Zahra Felton<br />✊🏾👏🏾🤲🏾🙏🏾💕Golden Flowerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13525426964500528873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1794406356268252166.post-22238947720522160922018-11-06T11:46:05.807-08:002018-11-06T11:46:05.807-08:00Thank you posting this follow up. I too felt excit...Thank you posting this follow up. I too felt excited when the copy arrived at my desk. As librarian who serves children and families in a very diverse community, I have a chosen obligation to share and so I did. While the book "feels" harmless, you are correct, it is not a complete story, missing are the countless reactions from an abuela who may not be "woke" or in this case, live nearby enough Coney Island to see the annual mermaid parade and perhaps think; 'esto no es raro por aqui, ¡Ándale mijo!'. And on top of that, the apparent ease into which this book was brought into the published world, compared to the profound, yet marginalized work of #ownvoices authors, must be devastating to those voices and illustrators who have a culturally genuine story to tell but may not even get a 'thank you submitting' note from the publishing industry. As usual, the work here on De Colores continues to breath life into the world. Axitianoreply@blogger.com